Westman ready to celebrate Canada Day

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This article was published 29/06/2024 (675 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

Westman communities have made choosing where to spend Canada Day quite a challenge this year, with fireworks, concerts and family activities happening all across the region.

In Brandon, festivities are set to begin at the Riverbank Discovery Centre at 10 a.m. on Monday with The Aberdeen Turkeys taking the Fusion Credit Union stage. The opening ceremony will be at 1 p.m., followed shortly after with a flyover put on by the Commonwealth Air Training Plan Museum featuring vintage planes.

Live music on the stage will continue throughout the day and finish at 9 p.m. Canadian folk and country music artist Valdy will perform at 2 p.m., then again at 6 p.m.

Other attractions at the Riverbank will include food trucks, Indigenous performances, a farmers’ market, voyageur canoe rides and face-painting. The night will finish off with fireworks at 11 p.m.

Neepawa has a full day of festivities planned for Monday at the Flats, with some activities taking visitors all around the town. At the Neepawa swimming pool, there will be a free public swim from 1-8 p.m.

Arts Forward is bringing back its town-wide scavenger hunt beginning at 2 p.m. at the Flats. Three paintings by local artist Adrian Molvizar will be hidden across town, with many other prizes available to be won.

Programming director Yvonne Sisley said bringing it back was an easy decision given its success in 2022.

“There was only one painting out (in 2022) and people were hardcore, going all over trying to find that painting. It was just awesome to see … It’s a total family event,” she said.

There will also be a 50/50 draw at the Neepawa pool at 3:30 p.m.

From 5 p.m. to 10:30, live bands like LunchMoney will play. Kids can enjoy wagon rides, bouncy castles and other activities from 5-9 p.m. Fireworks will begin at 10:30 p.m. and end at 11. Food and drinks will be available at the Flats all day.

Friends of Riding Mountain National Park have organized a local celebration, Music on the Beach, taking place at the main beach in Wasagaming. Elder Warren Bone from Keeseekoowenin Ojibway First Nation will give opening remarks at noon then Just 4 Kicks will kick off performances at 1 p.m.

Magician Evan Morgan will be performing on June 30 and July 1 at the Park Theatre. Doors open at 12:45 p.m. and the show starts at 1:30 on both days. Tickets are $5 and the show will run for 45 minutes.

At Poor Michael’s Emporium in Onanole, Billy Ace and Friends will be performing out on the patio. They’ll start their free performance at 7:30.

Visitors of Riding Mountain National Park can finish off the Canada Day weekend with fireworks in Onanole near the elk statue at dusk.

Killarney also has a jam-packed Canada Day schedule. General manager of recreation Liana Smith said they like to go all-out for holidays.

“It’s a big deal here in Killarney … We like to make things very special,” she said.

Monday’s festivities will begin at the Shamrock Centre at 11 a.m. Tractor rides, face painting, giant games like Tetris and checkers, three-legged races and bouncy castles will be some of the activities in store for kids and families.

After cake is given out at 9 p.m., local performer Liza-Jane Porter will take to the stage at 9:30. She’ll perform for an hour until the fireworks begin at 10:30.

The Municipality of Souris-Glenwood will have its celebrations a little early, with fireworks at dusk on Sunday at the Souris and Glenwood Fairground.

In Virden, Canada Day celebrations begin with a parade at noon on Monday. Free cake will be available at 1 p.m. in Victoria Park. There will also be games like laser tag, a cornhole tournament, scavenger hunt, beer gardens, food vendors and an outdoor market.

Along For The Ride will perform in the evening and fireworks will take place at dusk.

CFB Shilo will celebrate at Building L25 on Tete DuPoint Road. Celebrations will begin at 4 p.m. There will be family activities like bubble soccer, laser and archery tag, soccer darts and axe throwing. The Street Circus will perform at 6 p.m.

» cmcconkey@brandonsun.com